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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. key — in music
  3. field — farmland
  4. cap — a lid
  5. game — a match
  6. key — for a lock
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rush — hurry
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. cap — of ice
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. key — the most important part
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com